OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Sunday called a parliamentary election for Oct 19, kicking off a marathon 11-week campaign likely to focus on a stubbornly sluggish economy and his decade in power.

Polls indicate that Harper’s right-of-center Conservative Party, which has been in office since 2006, could well lose its majority in the House of Commons.

That would leave Harper at the mercy of the two main center-left opposition parties, who could unite to bring him down. Minority governments in Canada rarely last more than 18 months.

Harper, 56, says only he can be trusted to manage an economy that is struggling to cope with the after-effects of a global economic slowdown and a plunge in the price of oil, a major Canadian export.

Opposition parties say Harper has mishandled the economy and should boost government spending, a move he says would spark a crisis like the one ravaging Greece.

Harper announced the election after visiting Governor General David Johnston – the representative of Queen Elizabeth, Canada’s head of state – to formally request the dissolution of parliament.

“Our well-being depends on the economy and the wrong leader will do real harm,” he said.

“Now is not the time for the kinds of harmful economic schemes that are doing so much damage elsewhere in the world.”

Polls show the Conservative are slightly trailing the left-leaning New Democrats (NDP), who have never governed Canada. The Liberals of Justin Trudeau are well behind in third.

Both parties say Canada needs a change from Harper, who has cut taxes, increased military spending, toughened the country’s criminal laws and streamlined regulations governing the energy industry.

Ipsos Public Affairs pollster John Wright said the race was “very competitive” and chances of the Conservatives winning any kind of government were 50 percent, down from 88 percent last year.

Data released on Friday showed gross domestic product shrank in May, the fifth decline in a row. The figures suggest the economy was likely in a technical recession in the first half of 2015.

Five of Canada’s last six election campaigns have lasted the minimum length of just over five weeks.

The Conservatives have deep pockets and the campaign – the longest in modern Canadian history and the third longest on record – will benefit their chances as it will allow them to run a wave of attack ads. Opposition parties say this is an abuse of the system.

OTTAWA, Aug 2 (Reuters) – Canadian Prime Minister Stephen
Harper was set to call a parliamentary election for Oct 19 on
Sunday, kicking off a marathon 11-week campaign likely to focus
on a stubbornly sluggish economy and his decade in power.

Harper’s office said in a statement he is due to visit
Governor General David Johnston – the representative of Queen
Elizabeth, Canada’s head of state – at 9:55 am (1355 GMT).

Harper is expected to seek the dissolution of Parliament,
triggering the start of the campaign.

Polls indicate that Harper’s right-of-center Conservative
Party, which has been in office since 2006, could well lose its
majority in the House of Commons.

That would leave Harper at the mercy of the two main
center-left opposition parties, who could unite to bring him
down. Minority governments in Canada rarely last more than 18
months.

Harper, 56, says only he can be trusted to manage an economy
that is struggling to cope with the after-effects of below-par
global growth and a plunge in the price of oil, a major Canadian
export.

The Conservatives are trailing slightly behind the
left-leaning New Democrats (NDP), who have never governed
Canada. The Liberals of Justin Trudeau are well behind in third.

Both parties say Canada needs a change from Harper, who has
cut taxes, increased military spending, toughened the country’s
criminal laws and streamlined regulations governing the energy
industry.

Five of Canada’s last six election campaigns have lasted the
minimum length of just over five weeks.

The Conservatives have deep pockets and the campaign – the
longest in modern Canadian history and the third longest on
record – will allow them to run a wave of attack ads. Opposition
parties say this is an abuse of the system.

Ipsos Public Affairs pollster John Wright said the chances
of the Conservatives winning any kind of government were 50
percent, down from 88 percent last year.

“This really is a very competitive,” he said.

Harper has dismissed opposition calls for increased
government spending to stimulate the economy.

Data released on Friday showed gross domestic product shrank
in May, the fifth decline in a row. The figures suggest the
economy was likely in a technical recession in the first half of
2015.

At time of dissolution, the Conservatives had 159 seats in
the 308 seat House of Commons, the NDP 95 and the Liberals 36.
The new House will contain 338 seats.

OTTAWA/MONTREAL (Reuters) – Justin Trudeau, the man who was supposed to lead Canada’s Liberals out of the political wilderness, has instead sunk to third place just months from an election, with some in his party complaining he is missing in action.

Born to a sitting prime minister and raised at the foot of power, he presents himself as a kinder, more approachable alternative to Prime Minister Stephen Harper after nine years of rule by the right-leaning Conservatives and three straight Liberal defeats.

But more than two years into his leadership of the once-powerful centrist Liberals, the 43-year-old father of three has struggled to define himself and been labeled by opponents as unready for office despite his prized political pedigree.

Some critics complain Trudeau, son of the late Pierre Trudeau, appears unwilling to go on the road and repeat his message enough times for it to sink in before the Oct. 19 vote.

Former Liberal legislator Dennis Mills, who worked for Trudeau’s father – prime minister for 15 years ending in 1984 – took aim at Trudeau’s team, saying his handlers needed to be more aggressive.

“All these photo ops are nice, but I think we haven’t really seen the inner strength and the passion of the man, and that’s because he hasn’t been in a situation where that’s been allowed to come out,” Mills said.

Trudeau’s inner circle includes strategist Gerald Butts, campaign co-chair Katie Telford, and Liberal House Leader Dominic LeBlanc. All are in their 30s or 40s.

Asked to respond to the criticisms of his handlers, Trudeau’s chief spokeswoman said he and his team “have a clear vision and plan for a better government, not just a different government, and on how we get there.”

Trudeau’s handlers have previously denied he is keeping a low-profile, noting a series of appearances across Canada.

But opinion polls consistently put the Liberals in third place behind the left-leaning New Democratic Party and Harper’s Conservatives, making Trudeau a potential kingmaker if a split vote results in a minority government.

Trudeau, a former teacher and one-time snowboard instructor, burst on the public scene with an emotional televised eulogy at the 2000 funeral of his father. He entered parliament in 2008 and enjoyed a commanding poll lead for the first 18 months after he assumed the party leadership in 2013.

NICE HAIR, THOUGH

Conservatives have seized on Trudeau’s perceived lack of substance, broadcasting a recent advertisement that depicts him as a job applicant who includes his photo with his resume and has a celebrity following, but “has some growing up to do.”

The ad closes with a pitch-perfect: “Nice hair, though.” Some Liberals privately say attacks like this have worked.

A string of verbal blunders by Trudeau, including jokes about the federal budget and air strikes on Islamic State, both of which backfired, may argue for the short leash.

“The serial gaffes were the worst. They helped bolster the view – now widely held – that Trudeau just wasn’t ready,” said Warren Kinsella, a pundit and former Liberal strategist, adding that poor handling and “a barf bag of policy” were all to blame.

But many Liberals argue it is too early to despair. An unusually long campaign is expected and the Liberals plan their own advertising blitz closer to the election.

“We’re very much present on the ground,” said Melanie Joly, a Quebec Liberal who helped Trudeau during his leadership campaign. “(He has been) rebuilding the Liberal party from its base, making sure that we have a very strong organization on the field.”

Friends suggest people are underestimating Trudeau, and say his upbringing in a political fishbowl created a man who performs under pressure.

Marc Miller, 42, a Liberal candidate in Montreal who went to high school with Trudeau, said classmates and even a teacher at their prestigious private school used to challenge Trudeau as a proxy for his famous – and controversial – father.

Another Quebec Liberal candidate said the underdog position will pay off when campaign debates begin in August.

“Justin has a big advantage,” the candidate said. “All he has to do is remain standing and he is exceeding expectations.”

(This version of the story corrects paragraph 3 to show that Trudeau is the father of three, not two, corrects paragraph 7 to show that all the members of Trudeau’s inner circle are in their 30s or 40s, not just in their 40s.)

(With additional reporting by Randall Palmer in Ottawa and writing by Andrea Hopkins in Toronto; Editing by Howard Goller)

OTTAWA, July 28 (Reuters) – Canada’s governing Conservatives
are likely to lengthen this year’s election campaign by
launching it in August, three senior party sources said, a move
that would benefit the cash-rich party.

Canadians go to the polls on Oct. 19. Given that campaigns
must last at least 37 days, the latest date Prime Minister
Stephen Harper could start this year’s would be Sept. 13. Five
of the last six campaigns have run about that length.

But the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said
Harper’s party already has its machinery in place and is
expected to launch the campaign in August, possibly the first
week.

This would benefit the Conservatives, who last year changed
a law that had imposed a maximum spending limit of around C$25
million ($19 million) on campaigns.

The new law increased the limit by about C$700,000 for every
day beyond the minimum 37-day length.

The Conservatives have a larger donor base than their rivals
and raised C$6.3 million in the first quarter, more than the two
main opposition parties combined.

“A long campaign financially exhausts the other parties,”
said one person familiar with Conservative strategy.

The right-of-center Conservatives, in power since 2006, are
seeking a rare fourth consecutive victory. Opinion polls suggest
they will find it tough to maintain their parliamentary
majority.

Before the campaign starts, party spending is unlimited. The
Conservatives have run many ads attacking their opponents.
Despite this blitz, they have not been able to pull ahead in the
polls.

The final decision on timing rests with Harper. Neither his
office nor the Conservative Party responded to requests for
comment.

An August call would prompt questions about why Harper wants
such a long campaign, particularly one starting in midsummer
when few are paying attention.

Senior Conservatives said one justification is that Canada,
effectively, has already been in campaign mode for months.

Thomas Mulcair, leader of the opposition New Democratic
Party (NDP), has been holding daily events since July 20,
winning more media coverage than Harper. The NDP has a slight
lead in many polls.

Asked on Tuesday what impact an early call would have on NDP
funding, he said: “We will be ready for anything that happens.”

Infrastructure Minister Denis Lebel said on Monday that a
longer campaign would allow the Conservatives to better lay out
the contrasts between their policies and the opposition’s.

Critics charge that Harper – who came to power promising to
increase accountability – is abusing government power for
partisan purposes.

Ottawa increased child benefits last year and arranged for
large checks to start arriving in July, accompanied by a flood
of commercials paid for with taxpayer dollars.

All such government advertising must stop once an election
is called, as would third-party advertising campaigns such as
those being run by unions against Harper.

“If we go early, at least the opposition can’t complain that
we’re campaigning with tax dollars as the government … So
there may be pretty compelling public rationale to go earlier,”
one Conservative source said.

OTTAWA (Reuters) – Senior officials from the U.S.-led coalition battling Islamic State forces will meet in Canada this week to discuss how to improve the effectiveness of the campaign, two sources with knowledge of the meeting said on Monday.

They said those who will take part in the closed-door gathering in Quebec City on Thursday include retired General John Allen, appointed by U.S. President Barack Obama to build a coalition against the militant group.

A spokesman at the U.S. embassy in Ottawa said he could not comment.

Earlier this month Allen urged Turkey to do more to stop jihadists crossing its border with Syria. Turkey and the United States are now working on plans to jointly sweep Islamic State fighters from a strip of land along the Turkish border.

The Quebec City meeting of the so-called anti-ISIS Coalition Small Group will focus on all aspects of the struggle against ISIS, both military and political, the two sources said.

Fighter jets from the United States and Canada are striking against ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria and both nations are also training Iraqi fighters.

Western powers say their efforts alone will not defeat the group, insisting Iraq needs to do more, and the Quebec meeting will assess Baghdad’s actions.

Foreign ministers from the Coalition Small Group last month met Iraq’s prime minister, who complained the coalition had not done enough to tackle Islamic State, which holds about a third of the country.

The Small Group comprises about 20 nations, including Australia, Bahrain, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

MONTREAL (Reuters) – The veteran U.S. women’s soccer side earned another chance at World Cup glory on Tuesday, reaching the final for the second time in a row by beating top-ranked Germany 2-0 with the aid of some poor refereeing.

Seven of the U.S. team that started the Montreal semi-final had played in the deciding game in 2011, where they lost to Japan, and for many this will clearly be a last opportunity to triumph.

Japan and England meet in the other semi-final on Wednesday in Edmonton. The winner will move on to face the United States in the title game on Sunday in Vancouver.

The inventive and fleet-footed Americans were the superior side throughout an exciting game but the world’s second-ranked side benefited from two crucial decisions by Romanian referee Teodora Albon.

They took the lead in the 69th minute when captain Carli Lloyd scored a penalty after Albon ruled that Annike Krahn had obstructed Alex Morgan. Replays showed the offence took place outside the box.

“It was clearly outside the area … I’m very sad that this penalty decided the game. But what am I going to do though?” said German coach Silvia Neid, adding that her side’s usually lethal attack that had scored a tournament best 20 times coming into the match had been below-par.

Minutes earlier U.S. defender Julie Johnston was adjudged to have pulled down Alexandra Popp but escaped with just a yellow card. Neid said Johnston had been the last defender and should have been sent off.

Germany’s Celia Sasic – top scorer in the tournament – dragged the resulting penalty wide in the 63rd minute.

“I thought it was an unbelievable duel between two tremendous teams,” said U.S. coach Jill Ellis, who declined to comment on the officiating.

The Germans, who had produced some storming performances earlier in the cup, were atypically sluggish and looked to be feeling the effects of last Friday’s gruelling quarter-final against France, when they played 30 minutes of extra time.

Goalkeeper Nadine Angerer made two crucial stops early in the first half against an American side that started the tournament slowly but has been gaining momentum and confidence.

U.S. substitute Kelley O’Hara flicked the ball home from close range in the 84th minute to seal a merited victory in front of a passionate Montreal crowd of more than 51,000, most of them Americans.

“Four years ago we came so close … I feel we have really good momentum going into this,” said Lloyd, 32, who played in the 2011 final.

Other survivors from that match who are in the current squad include keeper Hope Solo, 33, defender Christie Rampone, 40, midfielder Shannon Boxx, 38, and veteran forward Abby Wambach, 35.

OTTAWA (Reuters) – The left-wing leader in striking distance of toppling Canada’s Conservative prime minister was once known as “Angry Tom,” but Thomas Mulcair has been turning on the charm to convince voters he is ready to run the country.

The 60-year-old Mulcair, who inherited Canada’s opposition New Democratic Party after his charismatic predecessor died in 2011, holds a slim lead in a tight, three-way race ahead of the Oct. 19 general election, according to the latest polls.

Described as “smart, tough and nasty” by Canadian magazine Maclean’s in 2012, the man who decided on a career in politics when he was 14 has spent the last three years taming what he once called “a good Irish temper.”

“The biggest challenge with Tom was always Tom himself, because he had a tendency of going over the top,” said a former colleague in the province of Quebec, where Mulcair started his political career.

“But since he’s been in federal politics, I’ve been impressed by two things: how much he’s disciplined himself and how much he’s disciplined his caucus.”

In 2005, Mulcair was ordered to pay another Quebec politician C$95,000 ($77,017) for defamation after he accused the politician of influence peddling.

Five years later, during a televised exchange, Mulcair snapped “You’re a crap journalist” to a reporter for Maclean’s, which had called Quebec Canada’s most corrupt province.

In 2011, after U.S. President Barack Obama announced the killing of Osama bin Laden, Mulcair said he did not think the United States had pictures of the corpse. He later blamed election “fatigue” for his remark.

In the last three years, such outbursts have all but disappeared, even as Mulcair hammered Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper again and again in Parliament on issues ranging from security to the economy and the environment.

Mulcair’s moderated behavior has impressed some officials from the other end of the political spectrum: former Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney has called Mulcair the best opposition leader in more than 50 years.

Others say the NDP leader’s temperament remains a wild card.

“I don’t think the public yet knows Mulcair, let alone have made peace with ‘Angry Tom,’” said former Harper spokesman Andrew MacDougall.

“Let’s remember that Mulcair hasn’t been the figurehead of a national political campaign. While he’s a veteran politician, he’ll get more scrutiny than ever before, and it remains to be seen how he’ll handle it.”

Mulcair’s aides declined to make him available for an interview. His principal secretary, Karl Belanger, dismissed such criticism as groundless attacks by opponents and pundits.

“Canadians see Tom Mulcair for what he is – a principled leader, standing up for middle class families and fighting with passion for social justice, a stronger economy and a cleaner environment,” he said.

POLITICAL AGENDA

The once-socialist NDP was formed in 1961 and until 2011 had never even come second in a federal election. The party’s rise this year in key battlegrounds, such as Ontario and Alberta, has elevated Mulcair from a relative unknown to a possible replacement for Harper, who has been in power since early 2006.

Mulcair opposes nearly all of Harper’s agenda, including Canada’s military role against Islamic State and anti-terror legislation that expands the government’s spying powers.

The NDP leader has proposed raising corporate taxes to help fund a national daycare program, increase the minimum wage for federally regulated companies, and improve transit, healthcare and housing. (FACTBOX on NDP policies)

A Forum poll last week put support for the NDP at 36 percent, ahead of the Conservative Party and Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party, which were tied at 28 percent.

“We’ve always assumed Trudeau was going to be the main threat but perhaps it will be Mulcair,” one senior Conservative said after the NDP’s shock victory in May in Alberta, a long-conservative province.

Mulcair is the second eldest of 10 children born to a French-Catholic mother and an Irish-Catholic father in Quebec. He studied law at university and became a citizen of France after his marriage in 1976 to a French-born psychologist, Catherine Pinhas. He has voted in France’s elections, but has said he would give up his French citizenship if he becomes prime minister.

Mulcair worked for a time as a lawyer before entering politics in 1994 as a legislator for the centrist Liberals in Quebec. He became a cabinet minister for the Quebec Liberals in 2003, and resigned three years later after clashing with his own government over a real estate development plan. He joined the federal NDP in 2007.

Voters have rarely seen Mulcair except on attack, and the bearded, burly leader has a stare that can be intense. He earned the nickname “prosecutor-in-chief” in 2013, when he used his lawyer skills to grill Harper over his office’s role in an expenses scandal.

Friends say Mulcair, who has two sons and two grandchildren, is loyal and funny, driven by a social responsibility taught at home.

“When you’re having dinner with Tom the laughter is constant,” said Julius Grey, a Montreal-based lawyer. “He’s not a somber policy wonk.”

OTTAWA (Reuters) – The United States maintained their record of having reached every semi-final of the women’s World Cup after their 1-0 win over China on Friday set up a last four encounter with Germany.

The Americans came into the quarter-final in Ottawa missing two key players through suspension but proved far too strong for a young, defensively-minded Chinese side, who seemed more and more intimidated as the game went on.

Captain Carli Lloyd scored the winner in the 51st minute, jumping high to head home a long looping cross from defender Julie Johnston.

Ali Krieger also hit the post with a drive in the 73rd minute.

The win earned the Americans a semi-final slot next Tuesday in Montreal against Germany, who earlier beat France on penalties after their game finished 1-1 after extra time.

“I think it was a very good performance tonight … the players have a good feeling leaving the field and that will help buoy us going into the Germany game,” said coach Jill Ellis.

After being criticized for sluggish play earlier in the tournament, the United States looked much sharper and pressured the Chinese from the start, with only some wayward finishing preventing them from scoring several goals.

World Cup winners in 1991 and 1999, the Americans showed no signs of being hampered by the suspensions of first-choice midfielders Lauren Holiday and Megan Rapinoe.

“We wanted to come out hard and strong from the start … the more pressure we put China under the more they coughed the ball up,” said Lloyd.

“I think we’re going to be flying next game.”

Tuesday’s match will be a repeat of the 2003 semi-final, which Germany won 3-0.

Ellis dismissed the suggestion her team might be fresher than Germany, who had to play 120 minutes on Friday.

“I don’t think it impacts the players at this level,” she said, noting her side had had two days fewer than China to prepare for the quarter-final.

The extra rest did not help a Chinese team with an average age of 24. They had scored four goals coming into the game and never troubled U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo.

OTTAWA, June 26 (Reuters) – The United States maintained their record of having reached every semi-final of the women’s World Cup after their 1-0 win over China on Friday set up a last four encounter with Germany.

The Americans came into the quarter-final in Ottawa missing two key players through suspension but proved far too strong for a young, defensively-minded Chinese side, who seemed more and more intimidated as the game went on.

Captain Carli Lloyd scored the winner in the 51st minute, jumping high to head home a long looping cross from defender Julie Johnston.

Ali Krieger also hit the post with a drive in the 73rd minute.

The win earned the Americans a semi-final slot next Tuesday in Montreal against Germany, who earlier beat France on penalties after their game finished 1-1 after extra time.

“I think it was a very good performance tonight … the players have a good feeling leaving the field and that will help buoy us going into the Germany game,” said coach Jill Ellis.

After being criticised for sluggish play earlier in the tournament, the United States looked much sharper and pressured the Chinese from the start, with only some wayward finishing preventing them from scoring several goals.

World Cup winners in 1991 and 1999, the Americans showed no signs of being hampered by the suspensions of first-choice midfielders Lauren Holiday and Megan Rapinoe.

“We wanted to come out hard and strong from the start … the more pressure we put China under the more they coughed the ball up,” said Lloyd.

“I think we’re going to be flying next game.”

Tuesday’s match will be a repeat of the 2003 semi-final, which Germany won 3-0.

Ellis dismissed the suggestion her team might be fresher than Germany, who had to play 120 minutes on Friday.

“I don’t think it impacts the players at this level,” she said, noting her side had had two days fewer than China to prepare for the quarter-final.

The extra rest did not help a Chinese team with an average age of 24. They had scored four goals coming into the game and never troubled U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo.

“We lost the game because of me,” he said, adding that he had set his team the goal of reaching the semi-finals. (Editing by Peter Rutherford)

]]>http://blogs.reuters.com/david-ljunggren/2015/06/27/soccer-us-too-strong-for-china-reach-another-world-cup-semi/feed/0Canada must be part of Pacific treaty, will defend farmers – PMhttp://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/25/trade-tpp-canada-idUSL1N0ZB1A020150625?feedType=RSS&feedName=everything&virtualBrandChannel=11563
http://blogs.reuters.com/david-ljunggren/2015/06/25/canada-must-be-part-of-pacific-treaty-will-defend-farmers-pm/#commentsThu, 25 Jun 2015 16:10:28 +0000http://blogs.reuters.com/david-ljunggren/?p=2618By David Ljunggren

OTTAWA, June 25 (Reuters) – Canada must join a proposed
Pacific trade pact but will also strive to protect its farmers,
Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Thursday, referring to
pressure to scrap foreign tariffs that protect the dairy
industry.

A number of the 12 nations taking part in talks on a
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) want Canada to start dismantling
a system of protections for dairy, egg and chicken producers
that is known as supply management.

That could be a political challenge for Harper in the run-up
to a close-fought Oct. 19 election, especially since his
Conservative Party has broad support in rural areas.

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday passed legislation vital to
securing the deal, which will in theory allow negotiators to
quickly hammer out the exact details.

Patience with Ottawa is running out and the United States
last month openly suggested that Canada might be left out of the
deal, which could be completed next month.

“It is essential in my view that Canada be part of that …
we are working to open those markets for Canada,” Harper told a
televised news conference in Quebec City.

“At the same time we are working to protect our system of
supply management and our farmers … Canada always, in our
negotiations, does our best to act in the interests of all of
our sectors and will continue to do that right to the end of
these negotiations,” he said.

Harper did not give any details about how Canada could both
join TPP and protect supply management.

Canadian officials were quick on Thursday to play down a
report in the Globe and Mail newspaper, which said Harper had
decided Canada must sign onto TPP and start dismantling dairy
protections despite the potential political cost.

“Reports of a deal are false. Negotiations are ongoing.
Reports that Canada has made particular concessions are false,”
said a spokesman for Trade Minister Ed Fast.

A spokeswoman for the powerful Dairy Farmers of Canada
lobbying group said the government had assured them it still
backed supply management.

Harper made his comments in the province of Quebec, which
produces 40 percent of Canada’s dairy products, and where the
Conservatives are aiming to win more seats in the election.